Dwarves - serious? or comic relief?

[Al Gorefiend]

As a die-hard Dwarf fan (all of my Alliance characters) I take pride in being the battle-hardened, tough and stoic race I am. We charge in to battle with an axe and a mug screaming and laughing half-drunk. I liken Dwarves to Vikings or Vrykul, we drink our mead and sing songs of battle before marching on to victory. It seems with such lore characters as Brann, Sully "The Pickle" and Fargo Flintlocke, Blizzard plays them out as being the comic relief older brother of Gnomes. We're the fat, short drunks of the Alliance who bumble about and belch and have ugly women. They've historically been the least-played race on the Alliance, ever since vanilla, and now are the least played overall (Trolls are now more popular than ever).

In Cataclysm, Dwarves were given a serious role in the war against the Twilight's Hammer and what comes of it? The Alliance is introduced to brawny Wildhammer Dwarves who try to arrange a hilarious wedding while the Dragonmaw wrestle Ogres and kill dragons. Moira herself is a play of Princess Leia, Brann's role is nearly always him pressing buttons and running away from danger, and lets not get started on Fargo.

Perhaps the only serious, non-comical Dwarf is Muradin who encompasses the badassery Dwarves have always been about, yet his role outside of ICC's gunship has been mostly politics.

I know other races have had moments of being comic relief, such as gnomes, goblins and blood elves, yet Dwarves have ALWAYS been just drunk jokes.

I'm curious to know what other players think. Are Dwarves just a joke of a race, or are they respectable?

[Lazuli]

I hate Brann....

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Blizz has a tendency to write dwarves as comic relief, overplaying the drunk scottsman angle.

I've seen Dwarves played serious, while still being funny at times. The writers would do well to read some Tolkien again.

[Viradiance]

I see you all of that, and raise you Muradin.

Muradin is not just serious, he's one of the characters I think the majority of the fanbase from War3 has developed a personal like of. I was gleeful to learn that he had survived.

[Justignoreme]

Some dwarves have deep, well written stories and purposes like Muradin and Twinbraid, others like Sully and Fargo are written to be comedy. It's an individual basis, not a sweeping generalisation. Comparing Fargo to Muradin is like comparing Zen'kiki to Vol'jin. Dwarves are in a better position within the Alliance. Not quite where humans are, but a lot better off than Gnomes, Night Elves and Worgen.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Some dwarves have deep, well written stories and purposes like Muradin and Twinbraid, others like Sully and Fargo are written to be comedy. It's an individual basis, not a sweeping generalisation. Comparing Fargo to Muradin is like comparing Zen'kiki to Vol'jin. Dwarves are in a better position within the Alliance. Not quite where humans are, but a lot better off than Gnomes, Night Elves and Worgen.

All I can say is I can't wait to play the Muradin scenario.

[Al Gorefiend]

All I can say is I can't wait to play the Muradin scenario.

Source? I'm interested in that.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Source? I'm interested in that.

No source. But they originally said Varian would prove himself to the leaders of the alliance. We had Tyrande in 5.1, getting Velen in 5.2, Muradin could be 5.3.

[Haven]

What? Dwarves? Warcraft is about orcs and humans (and pandas), all other races are just for props. Dwarves are out of fashion, out of trend. But wait till Blizzard watches Hobbit...

I myself really respect dwarves, of all Alliance races they're the most badass. Yes, even worgen are not as badass as dwarves.

[checking facts]

In Cataclysm, Dwarves were given a serious role in the war against the Twilight's Hammer and what comes of it? The Alliance is introduced to brawny Wildhammer Dwarves who try to arrange a hilarious wedding while the Dragonmaw wrestle Ogres and kill dragons. Moira herself is a play of Princess Leia, Brann's role is nearly always him pressing buttons and running away from danger, and lets not get started on Fargo.

also, the horde got the lore-kill on twilight highlands, as a blood elf warlock was present on cho'gall's downfall

http://www.wowpedia.org/Shinfel

so yeah, dwarves are there only for us to laugh at them.

[Justignoreme]

No source. But they originally said Varian would prove himself to the leaders of the alliance. We had Tyrande in 5.1, getting Velen in 5.2, Muradin could be 5.3.

Where did you see Velen's scenario in 5.2?

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

What? Dwarves? Warcraft is about orcs and humans (and pandas), all other races are just for props. Dwarves are out of fashion, out of trend. But wait till Blizzard watches Hobbit...

I myself really respect dwarves, of all Alliance races they're the most badass. Yes, even worgen are not as badass as dwarves.

Dwarf, Worgen, Draenei, Human, Pandaren NElf, Gnome. There's my badass ranking.

[Malkazam]

Dwarves are a huge part of the Alliance and maybe the most militarized ally they have. without them on their side i don't think Varian couldn't do as much as he do right now with this war.

Yeah gnomes help for the technology.. And Humans think they are ''the force'' of the Alliance but with the reunification of the 3 dwarfs clans in Cataclysm. Thing have change and they have the power in their hands.

Sadly we don't see that in game...

[Al Gorefiend]

also, the horde got the lore-kill on twilight highlands, as a blood elf warlock was present on cho'gall's downfall

http://www.wowpedia.org/Shinfel

so yeah, dwarves are there only for us to laugh at them.

No source says she killed him, only present. I don't think a nobody elf would land the killing blow on Cho'Gall. Even in that wiki article Zelfrax was just as present.

[Justignoreme]

No source says she killed him, only present. I don't think a nobody elf would land the killing blow on Cho'Gall. Even in that wiki article Zelfrax was just as present.

A bunch of nobodies kill a lot of big bads in WoW. Adventurers = nobodies

[Romeothecat]

Like the op, they are my favorite race. Unfortunately we don't see them as much in the story as we should. Come to think of it I did the "Heart of the Alliance" quest last night and during the cutscene afterwards the dwarves and gnomes had no representative there, heck even jaina was there and she hadn't even pledged the kirin tor to the alliance at that point in the story.(not counting Brann because he is there on behalf of the explorer's league)
The only positive thing I can see about them being forgotten all the time is that Muradin/ Falstad haven't been used as morons alongside Varian to make him look good like Tyrande was in 5.1

[Zanito44]

A bunch of nobodies kill a lot of big bads in WoW. Adventurers = nobodies

I think the majority of the Adventurers can''t really claim that nobody knows them. Currently most of the important npcs recognize us for our contribution in the Cataclysm and being a veteran from BC and Wrath. We're more mercenaries than adventurers now. Took us a long time to get Varian or Garrosh's attention though but at least they know we've done some crazy stuff than the average soldier gets involved in.

[Shiny212]

They were cool and respectable. Some comedy, but not really much more than other races, gnomes were always comedy though..bad comedy

[checking facts]

No source says she killed him, only present. I don't think a nobody elf would land the killing blow on Cho'Gall. Even in that wiki article Zelfrax was just as present.

""Untrue." spat a sharp, feminine voice, Shinfel. A Blood Elf adorned with sharp spikes of twilight elementium glared across the table, "Until you've been a prisoner within your own mind you know nothing of horror." Shinfel's blood had been corrupted during the fight with Cho'gall and her arms were now covered in black marks left behind by the corruption that had erupted from her skin. The experience had only served to increase the intensity of her sadism. Shinfel continued, "Even the Firelord's flames were overshadowed by the raw chaos unleashed by the Destroyer." She paused a moment and glanced to a Worgen who remained eerily silent. Zinnin had been present when Deathing was unmade and had not spoken a word since. Zinnin's eyes narrowed for a moment, then snarled at Ritssyn."

she fought cho'gall. and let's just say lore isn't as lenient with death as gameplay is. had she wiped, she wouldn't be alive to get into the council of the black harvest.

so yes, she was in the 25-man group that took down cho'gall, which means cho'gall's lore kill belongs to the horde.

which kind of makes sense, since cho'gall was more of a problem of the horde than of the alliance. he was an ex-horde ogre warlock who took one of the orcish clan of the horde and turned it into an apocalyptical cult.

also: the horde took the lore kill of ragnaros (orc in the group). the alliance took the lore kill of deathwing (worgen in the group).

(that is, assuming you can't mix horde and alliance in the same group)

[rakhakash]

Every race is supposed to be kinda serious in one way or another, but Blizzard just took 'Comic' and put it before 'clysm'.